5 ms·

Sorry for silly question, but: is "Radium" a DAW? If not, how does it compare -- what can it do that a DAW can't, and what can't it do that a DAW can

by pen2l 12y ago

Gracana 12y ago
It seems pretty tracker-like, with columns for instruments and rows containing notes, but what makes it different is the focus on graphical editing and automation. The node editor thing on the right for connecting effects looks pretty cool, too.
yellowapple 12y ago
It looks like it is indeed a DAW (supports VST and LADSPA, which is a tell-tale sign), but with a lot more/better features and a pretty visible tracker heritage.
SwellJoe 12y ago
"DAW" is a ridiculously overloaded term. It contains such diverse tools as: REAPER and Ardour and ProTools - Multitrack recording tools, used for recording live performances, with some basic MIDI capabilities built up over the years. Cubase and Logic - MIDI sequencers, with multitrack capabilities accreted over many years to the point where multitrack recording (in the same contexts as the above category) is not unheard of, though the UI focus is different. Fruity Loops and Ableton Live - Loop composition tools (for lack of a better description). Both are designed around loops as the basic building block of sound. While they have limited recording and MIDI capabilities, one likely wouldn't use FL or Ableton to make a symphonic soundtrack for a film, and certainly wouldn't use either to record a full band of performing musicians. Renoise and apparently Radium - Trackers for the current century. These evolved out of the old Soundtracker style music programs (including Protracker, MED, etc. on the Amiga and then onto FT and Impulse Tracker on early PCs). They've acquired most of the functionality one expects from sequencers and loop based music programs, but don't usually have any multi-track recording facilities. All are called DAWs by their developers and users, and yet how one uses them is pretty different. I pretty regularly use Ardour and REAPER for multitrack recording. And, I occasionally use Fruity Loops and LMMS for tinkering with remixes. And, I occasionally use Renoise for making electronic music. I'd like it if there were separate terms for each of these concepts, as it would give folks a good language for talking about what each of these types of tools do. It would also rule out a lot of the stupid confrontational crap that often comes up ("Your program sucks because I can't do X, Y and Z, and I only ever use this other program!" where X, Y, and Z are functions specific to one of the above types of DAW...like "I can't easily do loop-based remixes in ProTools. ProTools sucks!").
- bphogan 12y ago
  ...I use Ableton Live to do quite a bit of non loop-based composition. It's quite easy to do and feels well supported.
  - SwellJoe 12y ago
    Yes, there's tons of overlap in all of these (sequencers and multi-track recorders were the first to begin to blur the lines, but now basic loop-based features are creeping into sequencers and both FL and Ableton can be used for nearly any basic sequencing task), but the focus of the tool makes a difference in workflow. And, the tools that pros use for specific tasks can also be indicative. You won't be surprised to find ProTools in a high end recording studio, and you won't be surprised to find a film soundtrack composer using Logic or Cubase. Likewise, you won't be surprised to find an EDM producer using Ableton. There's less overlap in what pros use than in what the tools are capable of in the hands of someone really good with that specific tool. Anyway, doesn't matter. My point is that there are several different categories of program called DAW. The way they display and receive data varies wildly, and the use cases for them is pretty diverse, and I think it's weird to call them all the same name.
- stolio 12y ago
  It's strange to have Ardour and Reaper up there with ProTools and Logic described as a MIDI sequencer. That's how it started but at some point it crossed over into a full-featured professional DAW and I'm not sure even Reaper has caught up to its live instrument mixing and editing capabilities. Ableton is literally a sequencer (and much more) and probably belongs in your MIDI sequencer category.
  - SwellJoe 12y ago
    "at some point it crossed over into a full-featured professional DAW" See what I mean? It's a DAW, but not like these other DAWs. It's a real DAW, you know? Point stands: "DAW" means too many things to mean anything.
    - 12y ago

Sorry for silly question, but: is "Radium" a DAW? If not, how does it compare -- what can it do that a DAW can't, and what can't it do that a DAW can

by pen2l 12y ago

Sorry for silly question, but: is "Radium" a DAW? If not, how does it compare -- what can it do that a DAW can't, and what can't it do that a DAW can

Gracana 12y ago

It seems pretty tracker-like, with columns for instruments and rows containing notes, but what makes it different is the focus on graphical editing and automation. The node editor thing on the right for connecting effects looks pretty cool, too.

yellowapple 12y ago

It looks like it is indeed a DAW (supports VST and LADSPA, which is a tell-tale sign), but with a lot more/better features and a pretty visible tracker heritage.

SwellJoe 12y ago

"DAW" is a ridiculously overloaded term. It contains such diverse tools as: REAPER and Ardour and ProTools - Multitrack recording tools, used for recording live performances, with some basic MIDI capabilities built up over the years. Cubase and Logic - MIDI sequencers, with multitrack capabilities accreted over many years to the point where multitrack recording (in the same contexts as the above category) is not unheard of, though the UI focus is different. Fruity Loops and Ableton Live - Loop composition tools (for lack of a better description). Both are designed around loops as the basic building block of sound. While they have limited recording and MIDI capabilities, one likely wouldn't use FL or Ableton to make a symphonic soundtrack for a film, and certainly wouldn't use either to record a full band of performing musicians. Renoise and apparently Radium - Trackers for the current century. These evolved out of the old Soundtracker style music programs (including Protracker, MED, etc. on the Amiga and then onto FT and Impulse Tracker on early PCs). They've acquired most of the functionality one expects from sequencers and loop based music programs, but don't usually have any multi-track recording facilities. All are called DAWs by their developers and users, and yet how one uses them is pretty different. I pretty regularly use Ardour and REAPER for multitrack recording. And, I occasionally use Fruity Loops and LMMS for tinkering with remixes. And, I occasionally use Renoise for making electronic music. I'd like it if there were separate terms for each of these concepts, as it would give folks a good language for talking about what each of these types of tools do. It would also rule out a lot of the stupid confrontational crap that often comes up ("Your program sucks because I can't do X, Y and Z, and I only ever use this other program!" where X, Y, and Z are functions specific to one of the above types of DAW...like "I can't easily do loop-based remixes in ProTools. ProTools sucks!").

bphogan 12y ago
...I use Ableton Live to do quite a bit of non loop-based composition. It's quite easy to do and feels well supported.
- SwellJoe 12y ago
  Yes, there's tons of overlap in all of these (sequencers and multi-track recorders were the first to begin to blur the lines, but now basic loop-based features are creeping into sequencers and both FL and Ableton can be used for nearly any basic sequencing task), but the focus of the tool makes a difference in workflow. And, the tools that pros use for specific tasks can also be indicative. You won't be surprised to find ProTools in a high end recording studio, and you won't be surprised to find a film soundtrack composer using Logic or Cubase. Likewise, you won't be surprised to find an EDM producer using Ableton. There's less overlap in what pros use than in what the tools are capable of in the hands of someone really good with that specific tool. Anyway, doesn't matter. My point is that there are several different categories of program called DAW. The way they display and receive data varies wildly, and the use cases for them is pretty diverse, and I think it's weird to call them all the same name.
stolio 12y ago
It's strange to have Ardour and Reaper up there with ProTools and Logic described as a MIDI sequencer. That's how it started but at some point it crossed over into a full-featured professional DAW and I'm not sure even Reaper has caught up to its live instrument mixing and editing capabilities. Ableton is literally a sequencer (and much more) and probably belongs in your MIDI sequencer category.
- SwellJoe 12y ago
  "at some point it crossed over into a full-featured professional DAW" See what I mean? It's a DAW, but not like these other DAWs. It's a real DAW, you know? Point stands: "DAW" means too many things to mean anything.
  - 12y ago